IN THIS ISSUE

Recent Storms Again Highlight Importance of Water Infrastructure

As most are aware, Texas and other areas of the South experienced a devastating storm in midFebruary. There were countless reports on the news and social media of people left without power and struggling to remain warm and survive. We prayed for those who lost their lives and everyone affected. In the aftermath of the storm, most of the electricity has been restored to the region. However, hundreds of thousands of residents were left without access to clean water because of the storm’s impact on the region’s outdated water infrastructure. As of early March, weeks after the storm, this catastrophic crisis was still ongoing and underreported. As of March 1, approximately 390,000 Texans were still under a boil water order, affecting their health and safety.

In addition, thousands of residents in Jackson, Mississippi were still without water service two weeks after the storm hit. There were 96 water main breaks or leaks reported as a result of the storm. The National Guard is helping to distribute non-potable water that can be used to flush toilets. City officials attribute the breaks to the severe weather and aging pipes, some of which were over 100 years old.

In Louisiana, close to one million residents remained without drinkable tap water as of this writing, including about 200,000 in Shreveport, the state's third largest city. It has become all too common to read about the lack of investment in water infrastructure combined with weather leading to dire consequences. Far too many times people weather the actual storm only to be put at risk after it because their water infrastructure fails.

The issue, per usual, is funding. Municipalities are acutely aware of the issue, but in many cases just simply lack the resources to fix the problem before it’s too late. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may only exacerbate the problem. On a positive note, there is some optimism that a comprehensive infrastructure bill, including a large increase in water infrastructure funding, will be taken up this year. This would be welcome news because, despite the critical need to update our nation’s water infrastructure, the federal government’s share of investment has fallen from 31 percent in 1977 to only four percent as of 2017. There is also a recognition that increasing funding alone will not be sufficient if it is only in the form of loans. In order to truly provide support for municipalities, additional incentives such as principal forgiveness, zero percent loans, and grants must be made available.

Of course the federal government can’t be expected to bear the entire burden. State and local officials must also do their share. Massachusetts should increase its commitment to the Clean Water Trust, the main source of funding for water infrastructure in our state. It should also provide more opportunities through other programs that can help address water infrastructure, including the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program run by the Executive Office of Energy and Affairs and the MassWorks Program run by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Municipalities need to also invest and take advantage of all the options provided to them by state and federal agencies.

The need to upgrade all of our infrastructure is a national problem. The difference is that we can see when our roads and bridges are crumbling and in dire need of repair, and take the necessary steps to repair and replace them before catastrophic failure. The same does not hold true for our water, wastewater, and underground utility infrastructure. While it remains out of sight, it must no longer remain

out of mind! n